The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-06-11
IN AND AROUND DUBLIN.
The Destruction Of Hoeys Court, the
Place Where Dean Swift First
Saw the Light Of Day.
JAMES C. MANGAN's BIRTHPLACE.

Interesting "reminiscences Of The Early
Life and Struggles Of This
Inflated Genius.
(By W. f. Wakeman, in Dublin Evening Tele-
graph)
During the third of century or so a
very considerable change has occurred
in the architectural aspect of the city
Of Dublin. Some time.honored struc-
lures have been razed and rebuilt 5;
others have been remodelled or simply
conserved. AS with those buildings so
has it Jared with our streets and other
thoroughfares. markets and even
bridges. In taking down old houses
and other landmarks Of the past our
city improvers have doubtlessly been
obliged at times to obliterate not a few
edifces Of considerable interest to
lovers of metropolitan folklore. It
could hardly be otherwise. Among the
rest destroyed was the birthplace of
Dean Swift in Hoey's court, old Fish
amble street Theatre, Bloody bridge.
over the Liffey, and several works Of
less note. No doubt many other links
between the present might easily be re-
ferred to as having within the memor-
les OF persons still comparatively young,
been, with more or less reason, swept
away.
The creation Of Lord Edward street
has been hailed with satisfaction by all
who regard fresh air and light as essen.
tial to the welfare of section of our
citizens whose fate itseemed to live and
move and haye their being in one of
Dublin's most congested districts,
During the progress of the work anum-
ber OF very ancient tenements were ne
cessari]y demolished; and one Of high
interest, the subject of my present arti-
Gle. might have gone with them but for
the enterprise of it's new proprietor, Mr,
john Healy. I refer to No. Lord Ed.
ward street, prior to recent alterations
Fishamble street. 1t appears from "a
notice i'll the Dublin Builder" Of A pril
Is, 1885, presumably written by Nh.
John Evans: Of CornmarkeJ Zone of the
most studious and painstaking of our
city antiquaries): s'That toward the
close of the last century there lived in
No. 5 Fishamb]e street, James Mangan,
the father OF the gifted but ill-fated
poet, James Clarence Mangan. born
here III 1903, and of whom it may be
said that he was second only in rank to
our immortal Moore. It should be
worthy of notice to remark that it was
in this house, too, Francis Higgins,
better known by the sobriquet of the
Sham Square, made his debut in Dub
lin as Quart-boy TO the then proprietor,
Mr., Smith, grandfather on the mothers
side of our poet, James Clarence Man
gan. The most remarkable feature to
be noticed of this house is a stone in
serted in the front wall, under the win
dow-sill OF the second story. On this
is carved shield, With coat of arms;
On the base is q scroll bearing an inscrip.
ton, but, on account Of g. recent coat Of
paint having been put OH il, the letters
are so obiiterated that it is almost i'm
possible to decipher them.' On the
stone referred to are the armoriaL bear
ings Of the old Anglo Irish family of
Ulster, we'll and shapeIy cut. The
painted out motto was doubtless]y me
Vile Vells,' translated" Wishing Moth
inc Base.'' OF this stock was Arch
bishop Usher, who fl urished about two
centuries ago, and Sir Christopher
Usher, the King at Arms, 1855 1887.
This house would appear to have CON-
tinued in the possession of the Ushers
until about the commencement OF the
eighteenth century. That it mad been
perhaps more than oncerebuilt by them
is extremely probable, as during the
and a considerable portion Of
the following century, houses in Dub
lin were almost invariably constructed
of timber in what has been called the
tcage-work'' style. Much of the fabric
OF the present edifice dates probably
from the period Of Queen Anne. Or. at
any rate, from that of George l. or
George II. Upon its rere are some
curious narrow windows, with ex-
tremely small panes Of glass, which
would seem to point to an early Geor-
gian era. The entire, however, is con-
older than the beginning of
the present century.
Mangan's father would appear to
have been very hard with his children.
He is said to have boasted that they
would run into mouse hole' to es-
cape him. The business in which be
was engaged seems not to have -four
ished; and we learn that at very
early age Clarence was the main SUP
port of his family. For seven weary
years he toiled in the Office Of a scriy-
ener, and at length was enabled to as
sumo the dignity of an '',.ttorney's
,ln~l,. nf his cork, oapiroticpo or1